jacobs



(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 1.

J. JACOBS.

ILLUMINATING TILE. No. 428,493. Patented May 20. 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. JACOBS.

ILLUMINATING TILE.

i No.428,493. Patented May 20, 1890.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT @rrrciz.

JACOB JACOBS, OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

lLLUMlNATlNG-TILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,493, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed December 12, 1889. Serial No. 333,467. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB JACOBS, of New York city, in the county of New York, and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating-Tiles; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views, respectively, of the upper and lower sides of my lens as preferably constructed. Fig. 3 is a like view from the lower side of said lens when provided with a modified form. Fig. 4 is a perspective view from the upper side of the lens when in position within the supportin g-frame, and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively sections upon lines 00 0c and z z of Fig. 4.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to lessen the number of joints in an illuminating-tile and to reduce its cost without rendering it less efiicient for the transmission of light, to which end such invention consists, principally, in the construction of the lenses and their combination with the supporting-frame, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further,in the construction and combination of the lens and encaustic tiles,

substantially as and for thepurpose hereinafter shown.

In the carrying of my invention into practice I employ a lens A, which has a square form in plan view, and upon its upper face is provided with cylindrical bosses at and a, that are arranged thereon at equidistant points. At the base of each boss is provided four radial lugs Ct' and a, which are located at equidistant points and are arranged upon lines passing through the axes of the diagonal rows of bosses. The lower face of the lens Ais preferably recessed, and within such recess is provided with round conical bosses a and a which are located at equidistant points, and half-round intersecting ribs a and a that are arranged in lines which are parallel with the sides of the lens and directly beneath the spaces between the bosses a. If preferred, the lower face of said lens may have a downward-swelling panel a between which and each of the edges of the lens is left a plain bearing-strip (L as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6. The lens thus constructed is placed within a co rrespondingly-shaped opening in a supporting-frame B, where its bottom edges a and a rest upon supporting-ledges b and b in .the usual manner. When said lens is thus in place, an encaustic tile 0 is placed within each space between contiguous bosses, where it is centered by means of the lugs a and a, after which the spaces between said bosses and encaustic tiles are filled with a suitable cement D. The surface thus produced is composed wholly of glass, encaustic tiles, and cement, and presents the same appearance as though each boss a was a separately formed and set lens, and while equally strong and durable for all practicable purposes is capable of transmitting far more light than tiles of ordinary construction, as the spaces usually occupied between lenses by a metal plate are in this case occupied by glass, which has the same effect as would be secured by increasing materially the area of the lower ends of ordinary lenses.

In consequence of the combination in one body of several heretofore separate lenses, the number and extent of the joints to be made are materially reduced and the cost of construction correspondingly lessened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to cause it to resemble a number of separately formed lenses, and has 011 its lower side strengthening-ribs that are formed integral with said plate and are arranged beneath and in line with the recesses in its upper side, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to cause it to resemble a number of separatelyformed lenses, and has on its lower side intersecting half-round ribs that are formed integral with said plate and are arranged beneath and in line with the recesses in its upper side, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to cause it to resemble a number of separatelyformed lenses, and has on its lower side strengthening-ribs that are formed integral with said plate and are arranged beneath and in line with the recesses in its upper side, in combination with cement that is placed Within and caused to fill such recesses, substantially as r and for the purpose shown.

4. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to cause it to resemble a number of separatelyformed lenses, and has on its lower side a number of strengthening-ribs, in combination with encaustic tiles and cement that are placed within and caused to fill such recess, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to cause it to resemble a number of separatelyformed lenses, and has a recess in its lower side in which are formed several bosses and intersecting ribs, in combination with encaustic tiles and cement that are placed within and caused to fill the recesses in the upper side of said plate, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

6. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to cause it to resemble a number of separatelyformed lenses, in combination wit-h encaustic tiles and cement that are placed within and caused to fill such recesses, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

7. As an improvement in illuminating-tiles, a lens which is composed of a plate of glass that has its upper side recessed to receit e encaustic tiles and cement, and is provided within such recesses with lugs which are adapted to center such encaustic tiles, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. An illuminating-tile which is composed of a metal frame having square openings, lenses that are adapted to fit within such openings and are each provided with a recessed upper face, encaustic tiles that are placed within the recesses of each lens, and cement which is placed within and caused to fill the spaces between the sides of such recesses and said encaustic tiles, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of October, A. D. 1889.

JACOB JACOBS.

WVitnesses:

GEO. XV. TIoE, D. G. BUcHINc. 

